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A publication of the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit,
in cooperation with the U.S. Army Garrison Hawai‘i, Directorate of Public Works, Environmental Division
V O LU M E 60 | I S S U E 2
MANAGEMENT PROGRAM BULLETIN
C E S PRO
þ
Some of these discoveries are discouraging,
like the invasive coconut rhinoceros beetle
(Oryctes rhinoceros) and little fire ant
(Wasmannia auropunctata), recently detected
on O‘ahu for the first time. Natural resource
managers are forced to contend with the
challenges these new pests present—on top of
the ones they’re already facing. Other finds,
however, are signs of hope, such as observing
Drosophila neogrimshawi for the first time
since 1972—and in the Wai‘anae mountains
since 1916!
Small creatures are celebrated in this issue.
Arthropod enthusiasts, we know your mouths
are already watering. The rest of you may be
a bit apprehensive. Wherever you fall, we’re
sure that you’ll appreciate the incredible
amount of effort put forth by conservation
professionals who have dedicated their
lives to studying these fascinating critters.
Maintaining an avid curiosity, they bring
unparalleled expertise to the table and are
slowly closing the gap between the micro- and
macro-world, expanding and enhancing our
current body of knowledge. We can only look
forward to what they’ll find next.
Kimberly Welch & Celeste Hanley,
Editors
Halapepe (Chrysodracon halapepe) is host to Drosophila obatai.
ON THE COVER Drosophila neogrimshawi, notable for its beautiful
wing pattern, was recently seen by OANRP entomology specialist
Karl Magnacca. It has not been observed in the Wai'anae
mountains since 1916. At Ka'ala, D. neogrimshawi lives on the
very steep slopes and gulches below the summit bog where there
are stands of Clermontia sp., its host plant.
w w w. g a r r i s o n . h aw a i i . a r my. m i l / s u s t a i n a b i l i t y
FROM THE EDITORS
W hen you think ab out iconic H awaiian fauna ,
does a fruit fly come to mind? What about a
beetle? A spider? Arthropods are the largest
group of animals on planet earth, yet they
often seem to be the least mentioned. These
minute members of the animal kingdom play
major roles in ecological communities. With
over 94% of Hawai‘i’s 6,000+ arthropods
found nowhere else in the world, we are only
beginning to appreciate their significance
in our unique island ecosystems. In fact,
entirely new insect species are still being
discovered.
1
Paul is an assistant researcher with the College
of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources at
the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa.
Karl is an entomology specialist with the Pacific Cooperative
Studies Unit working for the O‘ahu Army Natural Resources
Program.
CONTENTS
4 Drosophila
Journey into the mysterious world of what might be the tiniest managed endangered species in the islands: Drosophila. Two species of
these Hawaiian pomace flies are managed by OANRP (D. montgomeri and D. substenoptera).
BY KARL MAGNACCA
8 Tracking Arthropod Abundance: A Pathway to Endangered Species Recovery
OANRP partners with the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa to find out what kinds of impacts trapping invasive rats is having on arthropod
communities in the forest.
B Y PA U L K R U S H E L N Y C K Y
14 Biosecurity Strategies on Schofield
With newly arrived pest infestations plaguing O'ahu, the Army is taking steps to prevent these unwelcome insects from invading the
installations at Schofield.
BY STEPHANIE JOE
COMMUNITY
"Partnering researchers
with land managers
is key to advancing
Hawaiian insect
conservation."
18 Volunteer Efforts Help Protect Endangered Plants on Public Lands
Volunteers and staff celebrate the nation's largest single-day volunteer effort on public lands by restoring habitat near a rare Hawaiian
lobeliod.
B Y K I M B E R LY W E L C H
over the info symbol throughout this issue to find out
þ Mouse
more information.
ACRONYMS
[email protected]
THE ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT PROGRAM BULLETIN (EMP)
The EMP highlights the U.S. Army's Garrison Hawai‘i's innovative approaches to natural and cultural resource management. The success of
this newsletter depends on article contributions from the staff of the O‘ahu Army Natural Resources Program, O‘ahu Army Cultural Resources
Program, Pōhakuloa Training Area (PTA) Army Natural Resources Program, and PTA Army Cultural Resources Program. Mahalo to all staff who
‘Ō
contributed to this issue.
h
ik
ilo
lo
All photos in this issue are by O‘ahu Army Natural Resources Program staff, unless otherwise noted. Special thanks to OANRP entomology
specialist Karl Magnacca for providing the majority of photos in this issue.
w w w. g a r r i s o n . h aw a i i . a r my. m i l / s u s t a i n a b i l i t y
G
RA
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A R MY N A
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Kimberly Welch and Celeste Hanley
Outreach Specialists
Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit
O‘ahu Army Natural Resources Program
U
RAL RES
Steven Raymond
Director of Public Works
U.S. Army Garrison-Hawai‘i
EDITORS
C E S PRO
DIRECTORATE OF PUBLIC WORKS
Directorate of Public Works
O'ahu Army Cultural Resources Program
O'ahu Army Natural Resources Program
U.S. Army Garrison, Hawai'i
TU
STEPHANIE JOE
"We have to engage people,
bring them in and make
them part of the solution for
little fire ant and coconut
rhinoceros beetle. With pests
like these, you can’t nickel
and dime a response; you
have to commit money and
resources over the long term."
Stephanie Joe has been working
with insect pests since 1995 when
she joined the Haleakalā National
Park Argentine ant field crew. She
has been with OANRP since 2006
after getting a Master’s degree in
Botany. She is always interested in
any insects you might find. If you
have questions about an insect pest,
you can email her at [email protected]
DPW
OACRP
OANRP
USAG-HI
UR
CONTRIBUTORS
PA U L K R U S H E L N Y C K Y
Dr. Paul Krushelnycky has been
conducting conservation research in
Hawai'i for over 20 years, working
with U.S. Geological Survey, U.S.
Department of Agriculture and
currently the University of Hawai'i.
Most of his career has focused on
native and invasive insect ecology,
but other interests include insectplant interactions and plant ecology.
KARL MAGNACCA
"Insects are the biggest part
of what makes Hawai'i unique
in the world. Preserving them
keeps Hawai'i from becoming
like everywhere else."
Dr. Karl Magnacca has been studying the
evolution, ecology, and systematics of native
Hawaiian insects for 20 years, working with the
U.S. Geological Survey, National Park Service,
and the University of Hawai'i–Hilo. He has
described 64 new species, about 1% of the
endemic insect fauna. His gallery of over 7,000
photos of Hawaiian plants and insects can be
found on Flickr at HTTPS://WWW.FLICKR.COM/
PHOTOS/53189052@N08/SETS.
3
D
F
O
þ
ar back in the deep gulches of the Wai‘anae range,
some of the rarest animals in Hawai‘i survive
in pockets of native forest. The picture-winged
pomace flies, Drosophila, live quietly in the shaded valleys,
almost always unseen—only by tempting them out with
fermented bananas and mushrooms can they be observed
and counted. They are the product of 25 million years
of evolution in the Hawaiian Islands, and hopefully the
progenitors of millions more.
Conservation of insects has been late in coming to
Hawai‘i, and long overdue. With over 6,000 endemic
species, including hundreds that are still undescribed, our
native insect diversity dwarfs that of better known groups.
Preserved remains from caves show insects have suffered
the same kind of mass extinction and range contraction
as forest birds. Drosophila is the largest Hawaiian insect
radiation, with an estimated 800-1,000 species—equal
to or greater than the total number of endemic flowering
plants or land snails—and three other groups have evolved
over 300 species each, all from single colonizers. The 120
species in the charismatic picture-wing group of Drosophila
include some of the largest and most colorful Drosophila in
the world, dwarfing the laboratory genetics workhorse D.
melanogaster.
All of the Hawaiian picture-wing flies breed in dead or
dying native trees, where the larvae burrow into the mushy
bark as it rots to feed on bacteria and yeasts. Though often
overlooked, saprophages (consumers of decaying material)
like these play an important role in maintaining the balance
of microbes and ultimately in the conversion of dead plant
matter into organic soil. Each species is particular to
only one or two species of host plants—a habit that has
SOME OF THE
SMALLEST
LIVING
MEMBERS
OF OUR
ARCHIPELAGO
ARE AMONG
THE MOST
DIVERSE.
contributed
to both their
astonishing diversity
and their current rarity,
ABOVE
as many host plants have declined. Since they require
Female
a steady supply of mature trees that may die or have large branches
Drosophila
broken off by other treefalls, maintaining a healthy forest with
montgomeryi
insert clusters of
adequate numbers of all size classes is essential to their survival.
eggs under the bark
As the diverse moist forests of the Wai‘anae range have
of rotting ōpuhe (Urera
glabra and U. kaalae) branches.
contracted from hundreds of years of direct and indirect human
RIGHT After the larvae hatch, they
impacts, including clearing for agriculture, fire, and the effects
tunnel through the soft inner bark (cambium),
of introduced animals such as rats, goats, pigs, and ants, the
filtering out yeasts and other microorganisms.
native insects have retreated with them. Today, most of the native
Drosophila are restricted to small patches of native-dominated forest
in areas that are largely alien vegetation. Despite being one of the
smaller islands, O‘ahu has the second-highest number of picture-wing Drosophila
Drosophila kinoole,
species with 33 (Maui has the most with 39). Six of the O‘ahu species are
one of the picturewing species, had
federally listed as endangered (along with eight from other islands), and many
only been known
more are equally rare. Three of the endangered species—D. montgomeryi, D.
from a single
obatai, and D. substenoptera—live on Schofield Barracks above the live-fire
specimen
reared from
training areas.
rotting bark in
Since they are now confined to smaller and smaller sites, the flies are
1971. It was
rediscovered
vulnerable to random natural or human-caused disturbances, such as fires,
this year in
landslides, drought, and flooding. A single event
Wai'anae
can wipe out even what might be considered a
Kai Forest
Reserve.
thriving population of flies, particularly if the
flies are confined to a small grove of trees in
a single gulch. The potential for new invasive
species to arrive always lurks in the background as
well. The introduction of the western yellow jacket
in 1978, a voracious and abundant general predator,
has impacted Drosophila on Maui and Hawai‘i island in
BY KARL MAGNACCA
5
In the spring of 2014, multiple boulders from an eroding
ridge crashed through one of the best sites for Drosophila
montgomeryi, smashing several large ōpuhe (Urera glabra)
trees, its breeding host. While this provides short-term
breeding habitat for the flies, the small amount of space
available for them means that even natural events like this
can put populations at risk of local extinction.
particular. Less conspicuous insects can have just as
great an impact—an alien crane fly, still unidentified,
that arrived in the late 1990s and feeds in the same
decaying bark has dramatically reduced the number of
native Drosophila breeding in many wet forest trees.
A lack of information is one of our biggest
impediments. Until OANRP began managing
endangered Drosophila two years ago, relatively few
surveys or collections had been done since the early
1970s. Secretive creatures, the flies are much harder
to monitor than plants or birds, since their numbers
may fluctuate wildly through the year and the degree to
which they are attracted to baits also varies. However,
in a year and a half of intensive surveys with OANRP, we
have discovered 11 new populations of the endangered
CHECK
IT OUT
ONLINE
6
species in our management units and rediscovered seven
species that had not been seen in over 40 years. A new
species was even found in the Ko‘olau range, the first
picture-wing Drosophila from O‘ahu (and only the sixth
statewide) to be newly discovered since 1973.
It is encouraging to find the flies surviving better
than expected, but many challenges lie ahead as we move
from surveys to active management. Insect conservation
in Hawai‘i has mainly been directed at simply protecting
habitat, such as caves or a specific host plant, and efforts
elsewhere aimed at organisms such as butterflies and
beetles are largely inapplicable to the unique situation
of Hawai‘i. Successful management of our Drosophila
will require different methods for expanding the area of
habitat available, including control of invasive plants,
Click the images to the right to watch video clips
of Drosophila montgomeryi in action.
You can view more Drosophila videos and photos
on Karl's Flickr photostream, HAWAIIAN BIOTA.
Two males compete for a mate.
A female deposits her eggs into the
bark of an ōpuhe (Urera sp.).
outplanting both host plants and others that provide a sustainable forest environment, and possibly releasing labreared flies at sites where they have been extirpated. As with any conservation program, the goal for restoration areas
is to establish self-sustaining ecosystems with reproducing populations of both host plants and flies that will be able
to maintain themselves in the long term. By ensuring they survive, we can perpetuate Hawai‘i’s natural history and
continue their evolutionary legacy.
w w w. g a r r i s o n . h aw a i i . a r my. m i l / s u s t a i n a b i l i t y
Drosophila obatai (ABOVE) breeds in rotting branches of halapepe
(Chrysodracon halapepe (BELOW) and C. forbesii (LEFT)), the larvae
feeding on yeasts in the decaying bark. This tree is slow-growing
and long-lived, so it persists in disturbed areas. However, there
are few seedlings in areas where pigs occur. In areas where
OANRP has excluded pigs by building fences, such as the upper
portion of Schofield Barracks West Range and Mākua, seedlings
are starting to appear again.
7
Tracking Arthropod Abundance:
A pathway to endangered species recovery
BY PAUL KRUSHELNYCKY
Jessica Hawkins, Natural Resources Management
Technician with OANRP, gets ready to use an
aspirator, one of the many "bugging" tools
that come in handy when surveying arthopod
communities in the forest.
A native carnivorous caterpillar,
(Eupithecia orichloris) feeds
on an introduced pomace fly
(Drosophila simulans) at Palikea.
These caterpillars have increased
in abundance in rat-trapped areas
at both Kahanahāiki and Palikea.
OANRP Senior Natural Rescource Manager Joby Rohrer discovers a fresh
catch. Long-term arthropod surveys, combined with large-scale trapping
efforts, help managers understand the effects predator suppression may
have on native insects and the greater forest ecosystem.
w w w. g a r r i s o n . h aw a i i . a r my. m i l / s u s t a i n a b i l i t y
F
AMILIAR WITH THE DEMANDS of night work
in the forest, staff from OANRP and the University
of Hawai‘i’s College of Tropical Agriculture
and Human Resources (CTAHR) perform a routine
gear check at the trailhead in the southern Wai‘anae
mountains. The team confirms that all the essentials are
packed before heading out: sweep nets, beating sheets,
aspirators, ethanol, vials and headlamps, as well as
dinner and snacks for the night ahead. It's a typical start
to the latest 'bugging trip,' a series of collecting efforts
aimed at understanding how intensive rodent trapping
grids at Palikea and Kahanahāiki may be affecting insect
communities in the forest.
Since 2009, researchers from CTAHR have been
leading a project that is tracking trends in insect
populations over time, from before the rodent trapping
began at the two sites, to up to four years afterwards.
Insects are not often a focus of conservation monitoring,
which makes this collaborative effort a bit unusual.
But the relative neglect of insects has more to do with
the challenges of studying them, rather than their
insignificance. In fact, insects are an integral part of
native ecosystems, as important as the plants and birds
that typically get most of the attention. Insects and their
relatives make up the majority of the native Hawaiian
biodiversity and thus deserve protection in their own
right. But they also play important ecological roles, so
understanding how to keep their populations healthy
will also benefit the other members of their biological
communities, including threatened and endangered
species.
A problem conservationists face is not always
knowing what the most important management actions
are for conserving native insects, especially when you’re
talking about large numbers of species that make up insect
communities, as opposed to focal species or groups that
may have more specific needs and limiting factors. That
is what makes projects such as this one so useful. It takes
advantage of a particular management action, rodent
trapping, conducted over sizable parcels of valuable
habitat, to assess what effect suppressing these invasive
9
mammals may have on a wide range of insects. Rats and mice
have long been known to consume insects, and fragments of rare
native insects have been found in rat stomach contents taken
from lands managed by OANRP. However, it is still unclear how
much this predation is impacting insect populations. By sampling
insects before and after the rodent trapping was implemented and
comparing with trends in adjacent areas where trapping has not
been conducted, CTAHR and OANRP hope to gain insight into
this question.
ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT PROGRAM BULLETIN
Laupala cricket (Laupala sp.)
10
Unfortunately, the question is not an easy one to answer.
Because rodents and many insect species are nocturnal, night
sampling must be combined with daytime sampling. In addition,
staff conduct ground-based pitfall and leaf litter sampling to
get a comprehensive picture of the insect community and how
rodents may be affecting it. Navigating forest plots and sampling
insects at night can be difficult, but it can also be the most
interesting and exciting part of the trip. Many of Hawai�i�s most
charismatic insects only show themselves at night, including
predatory Blackburnia carabid beetles, large leaf-chewing
Rhynchogonus weevils, and some of the largest native spiders,
such the orb-weaving Araneus species and the giant sheet-web
weaver Orsonwelles. What follows each monitoring event is the
truly tough part: months of sorting and identifying thousands of
specimens in the lab.
The results of this project are not fully complete, but a
picture is emerging. Monitoring at the Palikea site has been
most intensive, and after two years of rodent trapping it appears
that wide-ranging changes to the insect community have not
occurred. For example, changes in total community biomass and
diversity have been small. Similarly, shifts in trophic structure—
the proportion of predators vs. herbivores vs. detritivores—have
taken place, but have been relatively minor in magnitude. Instead,
it appears that certain taxonomic groups have responded while
many have not. This is perhaps not too surprising, as rodent
eradication campaigns in places like New Zealand have also
often resulted in recovery of select groups of insects, particularly
Native Orthoptera like this cone-headed katydid (Banza nitida) (BACKGROUND) and the Laupala cricket
(Laupala sp.) (INSET) and have shown the most consistent positive response to rodent trapping.
ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT PROGRAM BULLETIN
12
Another component of the arthropod surveys involves curating numerous
insect specimens from Palikea and Kahanahāiki. PAUL KRUSHELNYCKY
large-bodied species like beetles, grasshoppers and
katydids. Comparison of results between the northern
(Kahanahāiki) and southern (Palikea) Wai‘anae sites
suggests that different groups may respond to rodent
trapping at different sites. For example, spiders and
caterpillars appear to have rebounded at Kahanahāiki
after trapping began, but at Palikea spiders and
caterpillars have shown a tendency to decline while
true bugs (Hemiptera) have increased in abundance.
Such site-specific differences may be related in part
to differential responses to rodent trapping by birds.
Birds prey on insects as well, and changes in bird
abundance are known to have strong impacts on insect
communities.
One commonality between the Kahanahāiki and
Palikea sites represents the most consistent result
measured in the study so far, namely the increase in
native crickets and katydids after rodent trapping was
implemented. This response was strongest among
native Laupala crickets, but the large native Banza
katydids are also showing a tendency towards increase,
especially at three years after trapping began. This result
matches findings outside Hawai‘i, including examples
of population rebound in New
Insects may Zealand�s giant weta (relatives of
provide a
crickets and katydids) following
rodent eradication. Recovery by
critical link
singing crickets and
between plant Hawai‘i�s
katydids is a welcome change to
restoration
all, with the possible exception of
light sleepers!
and bird
The project has also yielded
recovery
other insightful information
efforts.
about insect communities
and their potential ecological importance in O�ahu
forests. For example, over 570 taxa have been identified
from the two sites, providing valuable data on native
and introduced insect biodiversity in the Wai‘anae
mountains. In addition, sampling at Palikea has revealed
that native insect diversity and abundance increases
strongly as forest plots support a higher cover of
native plants. As a result, insects regarded as prey by
endangered O�ahu ‘elepaio (Chasiempis ibidis) birds
are estimated to be two to four times more abundant in
plots dominated by native plants as compared to plots
dominated by alien plants. Insects may therefore provide
a critical link between plant restoration efforts and
bird recovery efforts. Weeding and outplanting should
increase native insect diversity and abundance, which
should in turn benefit native forest birds and provide
other ecosystem services. By including insects in
the equation, OANRP is employing a
more holistic approach to ecosystem
management and endangered species
recovery.
Biosecurity Strategies on
Schofield
BY STEPHANIE JOE
W
ithin the last year, two new insect pests, the coconut rhinoceros
beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros) (CRB) and the little fire ant (Wasmannia
auropunctata) (LFA) have arrived and spread on O‘ahu. Both are major
pests that can hurt our native ecosystems, agriculture and affect our households.
Thanks to the cooperation between the OANRP and Patrick Ching, an agronomist
with DPW, Schofield Barracks remains free of these incipient pests. With continued
vigilance and help from the community, it will stay that way.
CRB is a chunky black beetle, about two inches long that arrived from Guam.
In addition to the impacts it has on coconut palms, CRB also threatens other
palms like the endangered loulu (Pritchardia kaalae) and crops like banana, kalo,
sugarcane and pineapple.
LFA is a miniscule orange ant (just 0.06
inches long!) whose stings can cause blindness
in cats and dogs. LFA came to O‘ahu on infested
potting material from Hawai�i Island.
Identifying Pathways of Possible
Invasion
14
rhinoceros beetles (Oryctes rhinoceros) were first found breeding at Mamala Bay Golf
Course, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in a large compost pile. The accumulated compost is about
200 yards long and up to four feet deep where the ground slopes down to a stream, making the search
for CRB a lengthy process. ABOVE CRB also burrow inside the fronds of coconut palms (Cocos nucifera),
like the two adults pictured above. INSET Although other introduced beetles may look similar to CRB,
only the CRB is solid black in color. This CRB is trapped in a plastic mesh that was placed over the
compost pile to catch emerging adults and reduce the number escaping from the pile.
LEFT Coconut
w w w. g a r r i s o n . h aw a i i . a r my. m i l / s u s t a i n a b i l i t y
ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT PROGRAM BULLETIN
The first step in preventing introduction
at Schofield was to identify pathways whereby
CRB and LFA may be accidentally brought onto
Schofield. The CRB infestation originates at
Joint Base Pearl Harbor–Hickam (JBPH) where
adult beetles live off the sap of coconut trees and
lay their eggs in mulch piles. Thus, CRB can be
transported by landscapers moving mulch or
dead palm material after tree trimming from one
15
GET
i n v o l v e d
Preventing Invasion on a
Smaller Scale
ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT PROGRAM BULLETIN
ELI SARNAT
16
place to another. While it is possible
for adults to disperse without
human aid, the insects are bulky
and poor fliers, making moving
mulch one of the primary risks for
accidentally transporting this pest
elsewhere. After compiling a list
of plant suppliers and landscapers
servicing Schofield and JBPH,
the team found only one overlap
and contacted the company. They
warned about the risk of moving
CRB onto Schofield. Fortunately,
the company explained that they do
not move plant material between
bases and that the trucks are
cleaned and power-sprayed after
each job. The team thoroughly
checked the company’s vehicles and
confirmed this was the case.
In September a few weeks later,
a handful of CRB were found at
Fort Shafter. The team suspects
that these CRB have flown to Fort
Like CRB, LFA hitchhikes on
plant material, however these
tiny ants are much more difficult
to detect being only about the
size of a pinhead. Sizeable LFA
infestations have been found in
Mililani and Waimānalo and are
moving around the island on potted
plants and planting mix. To tackle
this challenge, the team obtained
a list of nurseries supplying the
post exchange garden shop and
surveyed them for LFA. They also
surveyed new housing construction
on Lyman Road in Schofield where
extensive landscaping is taking
place. So far, LFA has not been
found at any suppliers or on post.
Keeping Pests Off Post in
the Long Term
To ensure CRB and LFA do not
reach Schofield, the team continues
surveys. LFA surveys are conducted
twice a year in high risk areas
such as garden shops and new
landscaping. The team monitors
for CRB using traps that employ
a pheromone and light attractant
to draw in any beetles that happen
to be within the vicinity of a trap.
With continued vigilance by both
professionals and members of the
community, we can prevent these
incipient pests from becoming a
permanent problem.
ABOVE The small size of the little fire ant (Wasmannia auropunctata), shown here under a
microscope, makes it more challenging to detect. LEFT Nearly 2,000 CRB traps are deployed
throughout O'ahu to detect any beetles that may have traveled beyond the original
infestation at JBPH. Attracted by light and pheromone lures, beetles hit the cardboard flange
and fall into the white bucket at the bottom of the trap, where there isn't enough space for
them to fly out.
ELI SARNAT
LFA
Wasmannia auropunctata
Survey for LFA 1. Put a small amount of peanut butter in a vial or on a chopstick.
2. Leave the baited vial or chopstick in a shady, grassy spot during mild
(not rainy) weather.
3. After one hour retrieve any ants coming to the bait by closing the vial
or putting the chopstick into a ziplock.
4. Think you might have LFA? Contact the Hawai'i Deptartment of
Agriculture pest hotline at (808) 643-PEST (7378).
The State of Hawai'i Departments of Agriculture and Land & Natural
Resources have released an instructional video for homeowners, who are
encouraged to test for LFA in their yards and around their homes. Click
the image to the right to view a three-minute video providing step-bystep instructions on the simple procedure for testing for LFA.
Stay up to date with
CRB, LFA and other
pests online at
HTTP://DLNR.HAWAII.GOV/
HISC/INFO
How to Test for Little Fire Ant
Oryctes rhinoceros
CRB
O'AHU INVASIVE SPECIES
COMMITTEE
Shafter from JBPH and are not yet
breeding onsite. Since then, the
team has instructed landscapers
working at the installation to
remove and treat their mulch piles.
Rake out your mulch pile so it is no more than a few inches
deep. The beetles need a deep, moist substrate for their eggs, so as
long as the compost is thin and dry, you won't have to worry about
them nesting in your yard.
H AV E YO U S P OT T E D L FA O R C R B ?
Contact the Hawai'i Department of Agriculture pest hotline:
(808) 643-PEST
17
BY KIMBERLY WELCH
n spite of the damp weather forecast, ten O‘ahu residents
As Kikuta and many other volunteers took time to
gave up their Saturday on September 27 to help control
photograph the ivory blooms of the plant, the group’s
invasive weeds in Kahanahāiki, the northern ahupua‘a
collective gasp could be heard with the sudden appearance
(traditional Hawaiian land division) of Mākua Military
of our state insect, the Kamehameha butterfly (Vanessa
Reservation. The native forest of Kahanahāiki is home to
tameamea). Camera lenses quickly shifted focus to capture
several endangered species, including the hāhā (Cyanea
images of this beautiful red and black insect as it hovered
superba subsp. superba), a plant that nearly went extinct in
around māmaki trees (the primary host plant for the
1995. Fortunately, before the last five C. superba died off,
Kamehameha butterfly) in the area.
staff were able to collect fruit from these plants and later
“This area is wonderful! “ exclaimed volunteer Kelly
grow new C. superba from the seed in the OANRP nurseries.
Perry. “The native plants, the Cyanea, the native butterfly—
Today, hundreds of C. superba have been returned to the
it feels like an ecosystem. These days, few people get to
Kahanahāiki forest, and staff
see native Hawaiian animals and
and volunteers work hard to
plants interacting, and we are
stabilize this fragile species
seeing Kamehameha butterflies
by improving habitat and
landing on māmaki right before
removing threats.
our eyes!”
The task for Saturday's
Once the
group was to control the
excitement over
invasive downy wood fern
the butterflies died
(Cyclosorus dentatus), an
down, OANRP
aggressive weed that has begun
staff spent time
to blanket the slopes around
orienting the
the endangered C. superba.
volunteers to a few
The weeding took place on the
target weed species
21st Annual National Public
in the area. Hand
Lands Day, the largest singlesaws and pruners
day volunteer effort for public
were handed out and weeding
lands in the U.S. OANRP
goals were outlined for the day.
was selected as a recipient of
Controlling the invasive downy
a National Public Lands Day,
wood fern proved to be the most
Department of Defense Legacy
challenging of tasks. Volunteers
Award for the seventh year in
were shown how to clip each frond
a row.
from the plant’s long rhizome
Like most days in the
(horizontal stem) and how to then
conservation field, the day
apply small drops of herbicide to
Catherine
Upton
helps
to
control
the
invasive
Cyclosorus
began with a hike. Staff and
each cut along the rhizome. The
dentatus fern to improve habitat for the endangered Cyanea
volunteers traversed along a
work was tedious and required
superba subsp. superba (INSET) in Kahanahāiki.
rugged, hot, mountain ridge
a lot of focused attention. Look
trail for thirty minutes, transporting heavy packs filled with
away for a second. and the stem that was just cut becomes
weeding tools before dropping down into the shady gulch
invisible, lost in the leaf litter of the forest. Untreated stems
habitat of the C. superba. The temperature difference and
(without herbicide) grow back, cancelling out the weeding
scenery change from ridge to valley was dramatic. The
efforts. Volunteers were undaunted by the challenge
blazing sun from above filtered out through a multitude of
and worked steadily across the sloping terrain, clearing
tree layers, including a canopy of sixty-foot-tall koa and
approximately 250 square meters of dense weeds.
kukui trees, shorter statured māmaki (a native nettle), giant
“It was gratifying to see the amount of area we covered,”
tree ferns (hapu‘u), and the stunningly beautiful C. superba
commented Perry. “Even though the weeding was very
in full bloom.
detailed, we were really able to accomplish a lot because we
“When you descend into the gulch and suddenly see
had so many people working together.”
the fifteen-foot-tall endangered Cyanea superba,” said Roy
Kikuta, a regular volunteer with OANRP, “it just takes your
Check out the last page of the bulletin for information on how to get
involved as a volunteer with OANRP!
breath away. “
ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT PROGRAM BULLETIN
I
18
IN THE FIELD
Volunteer Efforts Help Protect Endangered Plants on Public Land
KARL MAGNACCA
Dr. Magnacca
applies fermented
banana and
mushroom mixtures
to sponges in
order to attract
Drosophila species,
waiting an hour
before checking to
see which flies are
attracted to them.
The flies come and
go, some of them
staying for hours.
Others may only
be on the baits
for a short time,
so it's necessary
to keep checking
throughout the day.
JANUARY
FRIDAY 1/23
Kahanahāiki
VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Root into y our communit y
HO‘OA‘A
BECOME A VOLUNTEER
The OANRP offers volunteer service trips in the forest to help protect
endangered plants, animals and habitats.
FEBRUARY
THURSDAY 2/5
Palikea
SATURDAY 2/7
Palikea
TUESDAY 2/24
Kalua'ā
JOIN THE VOLUNTEER LISTSERV
Contact [email protected] or 656-7741 to be added to the volunteer
database.
COMPLETE YOUR VOLUNTEER APPLICATION
Download the form online at HTTP://MANOA.HAWAII.EDU/HPICESU/DPW/
OTHER/VOLUNTEER.PDF.
SIGN UP ONLINE FOR COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER TRIPS
Visit WWW.OANRP.IVOLUNTEER.COM to sign up. Sign ups are on a first come,
first served basis, and volunteer trips fill up quickly! If a trip that interests
you is full, we encourage you to add your name to the waitlist so that we
may contact you in the event that a spot opens up.
ORGANIZE A TRIP
Contact [email protected] to organize a service opportunity for your
class, hālau or group.
ABOUT THE U.S. ARMY GARRISON–HAWAI‘I
U.S. Army Garrison-Hawai‘i (USAG-HI) is responsible for the day-to-day operations of Army installations and training areas in Hawai‘i. The
USAG-HI team provides facility management and quality Soldier and military family services for more than 95,000 Soldiers, retirees, civilians
and families across 22 military installations and training areas on O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island. These installations include O‘ahu-based Schofield
Barracks, Wheeler Army Airfield, Fort Shafter, Tripler Army Medical Center, and the Island of Hawai‘i-based Pōhakuloa Training Area.
ABOUT THE USAG-HI DIRECTORATE OF PUBLIC WORKS ENVIRONMENTAL DIVISION
The DPW Environmental Division Office at USAG-HI is comprised of two branches: the Compliance Branch and the Conservation Branch, who
are dedicated to providing guidance, support and liaison services to those who live, work and train on the installation, while also protecting
the environment. The Conservation Branch includes the Army's natural and cultural resource programs, which protect endangered species and
cultural resources, respectively, on O‘ahu and Hawai‘i Island.
ABOUT THE O‘AHU ARMY NATURAL RESOURCES PROGRAM
The O‘ahu Army Natural Resources Program is an award-winning Army program dedicated to natural resources protection and conservation.
The program supports the Army's training mission by protecting the biological resources found on O‘ahu Army installations and training areas.
To minimize the impacts of military training on some of O‘ahu's rarest plants and animals and their habitat, the U.S. Army Garrison-Hawai‘i
partners with the University of Hawai‘i at Manoa Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit (PCSU) to protect more than 80 threatened and endangered
species. PCSU employs over 60 staff through the Research Corporation of the University of Hawai‘i to accomplish natural resource work for
the Army throughout the island of O‘ahu.